The Tracker's Secret: Sunderverse (Mate Tracker Book 2) by Ingrid Seymour (the gingerbread man read aloud .txt) 📗

I managed to hold on to my breakfast. When I was done, I capped the jar, sure I would end up smelling like a freaking sewer, but after a few minutes of wincing and heaving, the awful smell passed.

I exhaled in relief, walked back out, and stood right behind Rosalina’s chair as she typed an email on her laptop. After a few beats, she glanced over her shoulder.

“What?” she asked.

I shrugged one shoulder.

Her nose twitched. “God, you smell good. Do you think moonfable could harm a Stale? I wouldn’t mind if you shared some with me.”

She had a thing for all beauty products and implements, but this went beyond her preening passion. She was out of her mind.

“Trust me, if you got a whiff of how that stuff really smells, you wouldn’t be asking.”

She was about to reply when her eyes drifted to the front door. I glanced in that direction just as the door opened and chimed.

Daniella and Lucia—my older and younger sisters—walked in, which could only mean one thing: Mom had told them the truth about me. My first impulse was to run up to the loft and hide under the bed. I wasn’t ready to face them or the fact that the bond between us was lesser than we’d imagined.

I wasn’t even a Sunder.

That half of me had been stolen, leaving behind a huge question mark.

A lump formed in my throat and tears burned at the corners of my eyes.

“Hey, Toni,” Daniella said.

Lucia toed the hardwood floor, hands stuffed in her hoodie’s big pocket. “What’s up, Sis?” she said, her eyes meeting mine just briefly.

“What... a surprise,” I said.

The last time they were here was the night before Rosalina and I opened for business. We had hosted a little inauguration party and invited only our closest friends and family. They’d visited a few other times, but not together.

They stood shoulder to shoulder, both beautiful with their long, brown hair and dark eyes. No one could deny we were sisters. We all looked like Mom. To my surprise, Lucia stood slightly taller than Daniella, which meant she was also taller than me since Dani and I were both 5’7”. I had no idea when that had happened. She had grown in the blink of an eye.

Daniella wore beige slacks, a black sweater with glittery trim at the neck, and red flats. I could imagine her with her healer’s coat over the cute outfit, a stethoscope around her neck, and a Children’s Hospital badge to complete the look. In contrast, Lucia wore ripped jeans, a tie-dye hoodie, and skater shoes.

“It’s good to see you, Rosalina,” Daniella said.

Rosalina smiled. “Same here.”

Lucia bobbed her head at my friend. She could be so eloquent sometimes.

“We wanted to talk to you?” Daniella cautiously glanced at Rosalina

“No worries. Rosalina knows,” I paused for a beat, then blurted out, “Did Mom send you?”

“No,” Daniella said, “but she talked to us yesterday and told us everything.”

“Everything?” I asked.

They nodded.

“Even the werewolf bit?”

Daniella nodded. “Yes.”

“Quite the big reveal, huh?” Sarcasm rode heavily in my tone.

Daniella took a step forward. “Are you all right, Toni?”

“Sure, I’m fine.”

Another step closer. “Are you sure?”

Her brown eyes were gentle, concerned. She’d always been great at comforting us—the most nurturing and kind. I still remembered her carrying Toddler Lucia around, changing her diaper, and feeding her with such patience.

I melted under her gaze, and all my emotions came rushing out. Before the first tear splattered onto my cheek, Daniella wrapped me in a tight embrace and squeezed me so hard I hiccupped. Lucia rushed over and snuggled right between us.

“Guys, you’re killing me,” Rosalina said, then joined in the hug.

They held me until I stopped crying. Embarrassed, I pulled away, drying my tears.

“We’re so pissed at Mom,” Lucia said.

“I can’t believe she lied to you like that.” Daniella shook her head. “All these years.”

Lucia sniffed. “She’d better never act all holier-than-thou from now on. If you want us to, we’ll never forgive her.” She sounded so serious, it made me laugh.

“You don’t have to be mad at her for my sake,” I said.

“I was already mad at her anyway. She took my phone,” Lucia said.

Daniella and I exchanged a glance. Lucia was always getting into trouble because of her phone and social media shenanigans.

My older sister drew herself up. “I don’t think this needs to be said, but I’m going to say it anyway. We’re the Sunder sisters, and nothing and no one can ever change that.”

“Thank you, Dani,” I said.

“I’m sure Dad would agree,” Lucia put in, and as soon as she said it, I knew she was right. Dad wouldn’t have cared. He would have loved me just the same, and even if everything else changed, this one truth would remain the same.

I was Peter Sunder’s daughter.

Chapter 11

LATER THAT EVENING, Rosalina and I sat in front of the vanity in her bedroom, getting ready to go to Damien’s party. She stepped away from me, tiny brush in hand, and let her eyes rove over my face as if it were a canvas.

“Yeah, now, it’s perfect.”

She hadn’t approved of my makeup job. I thought I had done all right with it, but to her standards, it was seriously lacking. I turned to face the mirror—a large, rectangular piece with tiny, clear light bulbs going all around its frame—and stared at myself in surprise.

I looked ah-mazing! My jaw dropped.

“See?” Rosalina jutted a shoulder out, putting on a smug expression. “Now, that’s how you do makeup.”

She had spent five minutes removing what I’d put on and fifteen more applying everything from scratch. I had to admit my skills, which I’d acquired in high school during a quick instruction from Daniella, left a lot to be desired.

Rosalina had applied a primer, foundation, concealer, blush, eye shadow, eyeliner, falsies, setting powder, and who knew what else. She had given me a rundown as she worked, but it had been so many things that I’d lost count. I’d been afraid it